A Tourism Case Study For Digital Marketing: Growing Bookings for Paddy & Nelly Bikes

Client Overview

Paddy & Nelly Bikes is a bike hire business based in Westport, catering primarily to domestic and international tourists. With Westport acting as a gateway to the Great Western Greenway, the business benefits from strong seasonal demand and a steady flow of visitors looking to explore the area by bike.

Project Background

Tourism in Westport is highly seasonal, fast-moving, and mobile-driven. Visitors often arrive in town before deciding what activities to book, relying heavily on Google Maps and local search results to make quick choices. Paddy & Nelly Bikes needed to ensure they were visible, trustworthy, and easy to contact at the exact moment tourists searched for bike hire nearby.

The Challenge

Although demand for bike hire in Westport was strong, competition for attention in search results was increasing. Tourists searching on mobile were presented with multiple options, and even small drops in visibility could mean lost bookings. The challenge was to consistently appear for high-intent searches, convert mobile users quickly, and avoid wasted marketing spend outside peak tourist moments.

Project Objectives

The primary objective was to increase tourist bike hire bookings during the active season. This required improving visibility for “bike hire Westport” searches, strengthening presence in Google Maps, optimising the website for quick decision-making, and ensuring all marketing activity could be clearly tied back to real enquiries and hires.

Strategic Approach

Titan Digital developed a local, tourism-first digital strategy designed around how visitors actually behave in Westport. Rather than chasing large volumes of traffic, the focus was on capturing nearby, ready-to-act searchers and removing friction between search, contact, and hire.

Local SEO & Google Maps Optimisation

Local SEO was central to the project, as most potential customers were already in or near Westport when searching. Titan Digital optimised Paddy & Nelly Bikes’ Google Business Profile to improve relevance for bike hire searches, strengthen map visibility, and build trust with tourists through accurate information and strong local signals. This ensured the business appeared prominently when visitors searched for bike hire options nearby.

Website Optimisation for Tourists

The website was refined to better serve tourists who were short on time and browsing on mobile devices. Pages were structured to clearly communicate bike hire options, location, and next steps, with a strong emphasis on speed, clarity, and prominent calls to action. The goal was to help visitors make a quick decision without unnecessary friction.

Google Ads for High-Intent Searches

Paid search was used selectively to capture immediate demand during peak tourist periods. Campaigns were tightly geo-targeted around Westport and focused exclusively on high-intent bike hire searches. This ensured ads appeared only when users were most likely to convert, keeping budgets efficient and performance predictable.

Tracking & Measurement

To maintain full accountability, Titan Digital implemented clear tracking for phone calls and enquiries. Performance reporting focused on real-world outcomes such as calls and bookings rather than abstract digital metrics. This allowed Paddy & Nelly Bikes to clearly see how digital marketing activity translated into actual hires.

Results & Impact

Throughout the tourist season, Paddy & Nelly Bikes experienced increased visibility in local search results, more calls from visitors already in Westport, and stronger conversion from mobile users. Digital marketing became a reliable channel for capturing tourist demand and supporting on-the-ground bike hires rather than simply driving website traffic.

Why the Project Succeeded

The success of the project came from aligning digital strategy with local tourism behaviour. By focusing on location-based searches, mobile usability, and fast decision-making, the campaign matched how tourists actually plan activities in Westport. Simplicity, relevance, and intent-driven marketing proved far more effective than broad or generic tactics.

Ideal Fit for Similar Businesses

This approach is particularly effective for bike hire operators, activity providers, tourism businesses, and any seasonal business that relies on visitors making quick decisions after arriving in a destination.

Working with Titan Digital

Titan Digital helps Irish tourism and local businesses turn online searches into real customers through practical, measurable digital marketing strategies. If your business depends on local visibility and high-intent traffic, Titan Digital can help you capture demand when it matters most.